Chapter 22: 22 – Questions and (Vague) Answers

“So, I’m not asking just because I have doubts, which I do, by the way, but is this sword supposed to snap like that earlier?” said Ethan as he addressed the group’s chaperones later that night, as they supped on the simple meal for dinner. He had the hilt of his broken shortsword in hand, although they had given him a replacement for it.

 

“I’ll answer that for you, Greene,” said Sir Inolet with a nod from where he sat across the small campfire they lit for warmth. The temperature had gotten colder the deeper they went into the cavern complex that the dungeon was composed of. “If I recall correctly, you had gone into the Royal Armory together with O’Connor to pick your weapons back then, right?”

 

“That’s right, Sir,” Ethan replied with a firm nod of his head.

 

“You’ve probably also seen the other weapons and armor we kept deeper in the place, then, yes? The ones that looked far too large and heavy for a person to wield?” continued the old knight as he dined on his stew. Sir Henri Inolet seemed to have expected Ethan’s question, and the others did not seem too interested in the discussion, other than Alissa who kept her ears open.

 

“Also right,” admitted Ethan.

 

“Then you can probably guess what I’m about to say, since you seem to be the most savvy of how this world of ours works compared to the other [Heroes]. I will say it for their benefit regardless, though,” said Sir Inolet with an appreciative nod of his head. “There are several grades of equipment we have available, each of which were separated by the tier their wielder was supposed to be before using them. The sword you pointed out, as well as the rest of your weapons are intended to be used by a mid second tier person. They are about the same quality as what the junior members of our Royal Guard use.”

 

“I see. In that case am I correct in assuming that better equipment was limited either by stats or the tier of the person wielding them? Or are there some other ways to prevent those below that level from using them?” Ethan asked. Alissa got the gist of his intention so far. She recalled that in some games they played together there were weapons that could be gotten early on which simply trivialized most of the game afterward. He was probably fishing for a similar loophole.

 

“I think you’ll understand this better with a demonstration. Here, catch!” said Sir Inolet as she removed the sword on his waist and tossed it over to Ethan.

 

Ethan caught the blade – still safe in its scabbard – with both hands out of caution, and even then he still almost fell over. The weight of the blade caught him by surprise, as the slender-looking sword looked to be little more than a slightly longer than normal arming sword. Yet Ethan estimated that the thing must have weighed at least thirty pounds, probably forty or more.

 

“As you can see, you would need a far greater physique to be able to use my sword the way it’s intended to be used. I managed because I’m a Body-focused fourth tier. Considering how you [Heroes] are roughly a tier stronger than us, you and maybe even Miss O’Connor there might be able to use something like that in your third tier,” said the old knight with a self-satisfied smirk. “As for why my weapon is that heavy, they need to be in order to do enough damage to the sort of enemies I’d be called to handle, and survive the experience. I think you can understand the logic behind this, yes, Mister Greene?”

 

“Yes, Sir. That’s clear. And I assume we were given equipment of the mid second tier because that was all we could use properly back when we were still level one?” queried Ethan as he made an effort to throw the sword back to Sir Inolet. To his credit, his throw only fell slightly short, close enough that the old knight could simply reach his hand out and catch the weapon with ease.

 

“Correct. Another reason is to instill the idea in you that your equipment, all of it, are temporary measures. You should not get attached or too used to them, as you would be able to use better ones as you grow in power,” said the old knight with a nod. “There’s usually more leeway with armor, like the ones you are wearing now are closer to what people in the third tier wear. The main reason you could use them is because part of the enchantment was used to make them lighter and easier to wear.”

 

“Point taken, Sir Inolet,” replied Alissa politely from the side. “So we should be prepared for a change of gear in the near future, then?”

 

“Your armors are honestly good enough to last until you’re at least in the mid to late levels of your second tier, by my estimation, so those will stay with you for a while more at least,” replied the one-eyed knight with another nod of his head. “As for your weapons, you have already noticed that you’re starting to grow too strong for them, right? We’ll likely get each of you a new set once we finish this dungeon.”

 

“Understood, sir,” she replied. Then Alissa looked towards the side where Joshua sat almost in isolation from the rest, only accompanied by Magus Drummond – who looked positively incensed at his poor performance – and Vesta – who seemed busy soothing his bruised ego after the scolding. “What about mage types like him, though?”

 

While Alissa did not particularly like Joshua Smith, the three of them were still stuck together in this other world, and the best chance they had at the moment to return home was to stick together, so she couldn’t help looking out a bit for him as well. Ethan seemed to be of the same sentiment, though with Joshua mostly keeping to himself, they were uncertain how they should broach the topic to him.

 

“It really depends, I would say. Some like Magus Drummond over there had a more balanced build and wore armor that higher level third-tier knights would normally be wearing. He is also far from helpless if forced to engage an enemy without the aid of his magical prowess,” said the old one-eyed knight nonchalantly. “On the other hand, I’ve known other wizards who were barely more fit than a regular second tier adult. They tend to be slightly more lethal with their magic, sure, but they are also far easier to kill once you get your hands on them.”

 

“I assume you do not approve of those types as much, then, Sir?” asked Alissa politely. She had discovered over their past month of acquaintanceship that speaking in polite tones was the easiest way to coax out more information from their teacher.

 

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“They are far too dependent on others to stay alive. The benefits of increased power were only marginal compared to those who chose a more balanced, if still focused build. On the other hand, the disadvantages were far greater and much easier to exploit,” ranted Sir Inolet, who clearly had some strong views on the matter. “They can’t even wear proper armor if their lives depended on them, and their stamina is nonexistent so you’d need frequent rest during long expeditions. I think even with your more limited knowledge, even you would agree that those are too many disadvantages for a mere marginal increase in power, no?”

 

“I thought mage types don’t mesh well with heavy armor?” Ethan asked, a question that had also came to Alissa’s mind but she was late in voicing.

 

“That is true to an extent. That said, take a look at old Murdock there. Does he look that armored to you?” said Sir Inolet as he answered them with a question of his own. Murdock was Magus Drummond’s first name, and both of the young [Heroes] looked towards him only to see that the old mage dressed in robes similar to Joshua’s if a good bit thicker.

 

“He looks like he’s just wearing… thick robes,” said Alissa tentatively.

 

“That’s what it looked like from the outside, but underneath the surface of that robe are multiple layers of monster scales and bones sewn into the fabric. The principle is not that much different from your own armor, Mister Greene, just that he didn’t use metal materials for his,” said Sir Inolet in reply. “Either of you care to take a venture on how much that robe of his weighed?”

 

“You said there’s scales and bones in it, so probably like ten pounds? Maybe fifteen?” guessed Alissa.

 

“Nah, he previously said that it’s something similar to what a third tier knight would be wearing. I’m guessing thirty or so,” replied Ethan before Sir Inolet could answer.

 

“Both of you misjudged the density of high-tier monster scales and bones. Just that robe alone weighed at least a full hundred pounds or thereabouts. My armor weighed nearly double that. It should be noted, however, that ol’ Murdock there has particularly high Body stat for a mage,” replied the Old Knight with a smirk on his leathery face. “Most mages would barely be able to wear stuff that beginner third tier knights wear because they lack a high enough Body stat.”

 

“What about you, Sir?” asked Alissa suddenly with some curiosity. “What sort of build do you pursue?”

 

“Me? Mostly in Body with a good bit of Mind as well. I’m a [Blade of Sorcery] so I do use magic to a limited extent to support my swordsplay. Enough in Soul to not make myself particularly vulnerable to attacks that utilize that field, but that’s about it,” replied the old knight with a nod of approval at Alissa’s curiosity. “Murdock there’s basically got a similar distribution I do, just reverse the Body and Mind stats. Those priestesses from the temple would be much more Soul-focused since their skills generally run off that stat.”

 

“Is that why you recommended for us to keep things relatively balanced early on?”

 

“Correct. You never know what sort of opponent you might face in the future, so leaving a blatant opening for them to abuse would not be a wise thing to do,” said Sir Inolet with another nod. “In general, if you lack stats in one particular category, you will be vulnerable to attacks that target that category. As such, it’s generally advised to keep your other stats at least at a decent level for defensive purposes. Being too specialized has less benefits than drawbacks.”

 

“That is interesting to know. Thank you, Sir. I’ll be sure to dump some points down the Mind and Soul stats later on,” said Ethan.

 

“You do that, but generally hold off on going too far in that direction as well. For all you know your next class might distribute more points that way by default and help cover for your lacking,” replied Sir Inolet. “Not that Miss O’Connor here would have to worry about that since her class seems intent on covering those gaps by default. In that sense she has more freedom to pursue a course she deemed fitting for herself. Enjoy it, girl. That’s a luxury that only few in this world get to enjoy.”

 

“Yes, Sir. I will keep it in mind,” said Alissa with a respectful nod at the old knight.

 

The rest of the night passed quietly in the murky darkness of the dungeon. Just as before, the heroes were allowed to sleep through the night without having to stand watch, though this time their compatriots in the fight also got to join them for a full night’s rest. While Alissa thought she’d probably find it hard to sleep after that fight they had earlier, she fell into a deep sleep almost the instant her head rested on the backpack she used as a pillow in the dungeon.

 

They woke up the next morning, relatively refreshed from the night’s rest, though Alissa and the rest still felt some sores and aches from the previous day. Apparently it was a well-known sequela to magical healing in this world, considering how everyone else just took it in stride. Fortunately for them, according to Sir Inolet they were still two to three day’s away from where the matriarch of the cavern dwelled. As such, they had a relatively relaxed day, even the fighting was easier than previously, as they delved deeper into the dungeon.